The present disclosure relates to a system and a method that determines whether a file will split correctly on a print server and, more specifically, a system that diagnoses a source of the split failure.
Portable Document Format (“PDF”) is a commonly used standard for representing a finished document as fixed content after the document is formatted. A PDF/VT file is a type of PDF file for exchange of variable data and transactional (VT) printing. Generally, the fixed content portion of the PDF functions as a template that can be used in multiple renderings. Each rendering process undergoes a merge with variable data for providing printout or display output with variable content.
In a conventional approach, the PDF/VT file is processed at a printer device, which splits the document into chunks, raster image processes (“RIPs”) the chunks, and reassembles the pages from the chunks into correct order for rendering the output. Mainly, the PDF/VT file is divided into multiple chunks using a splitter located at the printer device.
The PDF/VT file can include a catalog tree, known as a Dpart catalog, which contains metadata for the variable rendering of contents defined within the PDF pages. An accompanying Job Definition Format (“JDF”) job ticket includes directions for how the metadata is to be used.
The printer-based splitter splits the document based on how the catalog tree is built. In other words, the document is split according to how the catalog tree interacts with the splitter technology. An error can occur when the document splits incorrectly. For a conventional print network and/or device, the fault handling system ceases processing of the print job when the error occurs. The fault handling system does not provide any explanation indicating why the printer ceases to complete processing of the print job. Although, embodiments are contemplated where the printer continues to RIP the print job and reassemble the pages in the incorrect order.
When an error occurs, a user can be inconvenienced by a stalled and/or ceased print job and/or by the task of resending the print instruction to a different printer device. Therefore, the user may not want to commit to printing a long file until it has confidence in the print outcome.
Because various types of printer devices include different splitter embodiments, which can each interact with a DPart hierarchy differently, a system and method are desired which can verify that the splitter can properly split the document before the processing is initiated at the printer device. In this manner, a verification process is desired that reduces the faults that are later caused by errors in a conventional splitting operation.